The Guardians
by artemis-3394
Summary: The war has ended, except there are still a few rogue death eaters running around. After Hogwarts is attacked, McGonagall decides it's time for a few guards. But what does Harry think about his guard? Rated T for now. currently on hold
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Execution. That's what Assyrian felt like he was being led to. His comrades were silent and morose, their faces unreadable. All except for his sister's. Her rage showed without restraint on her cat like features. Her silver eyes glared as the wizards and witches studied them, poking and prodding to get all the information about the physical structure. Assyrian, however, found it amusing; though he was exceedingly careful not to show it.

One of the wizards approached the silver eyed woman and an audible snarl came from their direction followed by an astonished gasp. Assyrian would have groaned if such a noise could have been made by his torn vocal chords. Unfortunately, a terrible throat wound in his childhood had left the young man forever dumb.

Turning his head ever so slightly, Assyrian saw his sister with her wings in full extension. Their other traveling companions had already shrunk back, knowing this action to be a threat. The overly curious wizard however wasn't as smart. He stood transfixed by what he thought was a beautiful miracle. He thought the woman was merely showing him more of her reality-defying anatomy. Because of his interest in her wings, the wizard never saw Assyrian's sister's foot come flying up towards his chin. The toe of her rawhide boot caught him directly in the center of his jaw, snapping his neck instantly.

Assyrian's eyes widened and he leapt for the convulsing man as he fell towards the earth. He only had a few seconds left; Assyrian had to reach him! Milliseconds before the dying wizard's head hit the earth; the silver eyed male reached him. Assyrian's slightly glowing hand clutched the wizard's neck tightly, the bones crackling and popping as they returned to their normal positions. The attack and the healing was over in a matter of seconds; the wizards and witches still standing were just now pulling their wands from the folds of their cloaks. Their fallen comrade coughed a couple times before standing again, his eyes wide as he felt his neck in disbelief. Looking around at his fellow magic wielders, he raised his hands and shook his head quickly. "No no! Look! I'm fine! This man saved me!"

The wizard's ability to forget the kick that almost ended his life amazed Assyrian. Then again, the shock of being so close to death probably had given him temporary amnesia. More than likely, all the man could remember was being healed. Oh well, Assyrian would go along with what the man remembered and hope they didn't want retribution from his sister.

Feeling a familiar touch on his arm, Assyrian turned his head to see the silver eyed woman looking at him confused. He frowned and she bowed her head guiltily, her wings now folded tightly against her back. "I'm sorry." she whispered, her voice barely perceptible over the wizard's raised voices behind him.

Sighing, Assyrian shook his head and turned back towards the wizards to wait for them to announce what would happen next. He didn't have to wait long.

The same wizard whose neck had just been broken turned to face the winged people. He touched his wand to his throat and his voice became thunderously loud. Maybe to a normal person this would have been fine and perhaps even easier to hear, but for Assyrian and his comrades the volume was almost painful. Thankfully, once a couple of the winged people had slid to their knees clutching the sides of their heads, the wizard had contritely lowered his wand and returned his voice to normal.

"Um, er, please forgive my thoughtlessness. I forgot that your senses are far more acute than any human's. Um, so uh, as I was saying before, my name is Arthur Weasley. I, uh, work for the ministry of magic." Arthur's stuttering were clear signs of distress to the Assyrian and his people. It was easy to tell that the man was uncomfortable after his mistake. Luckily, one of his colleagues stepped up to his rescue.

"Oh, Merlin's beard Weasley! Step aside." An older with with a tall, pointed hat took his place. She wore long dark robes and a pair of glasses on her pointed nose. She held herself with dignity, poise, and most of all confidence. This woman looked as if she could take on an army and win, and it was obvious that she knew exactly what her appearance was. "My greetings to you all. My name is Minerva McGonagall, current headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I have a very important proposition for you all." The witch paused here, waiting for someone to step forward and hear her offer.

Realizing what the witch wanted, Assyrian stepped forward with his sister beside him. He nodded his head for the witch to continue. She quirked a brow but didn't inquire to his silence.

"Hogwarts has been on tough times lately and we are in need of some assistance. There are a few students at our school who seem to lure in any kind of trouble or danger that happens to be in the vicinity. Some of these dangers might prove to be too much for these students to handle, and because of this possibility we have deemed it appropriate to provide them with guards. If you and your people are willing, we would be immensely grateful if you could do us his great service." Minerva finished with a flourish of her wand and two iron-wrought gates swung open behind her. "Those who would help us need only to step inside the grounds to seal your contract."

A few of Assyrian's people scoffed at the witch and turned, casting angry glares towards the rest of the magic wielders as well. "Assyrian, we didn't come here to play babysitter." One man said.

"Yea, we aren't going to be nannies to a bunch of snot nosed kids. We're out of here." Another agreed.

Assyrian sighed sadly as more and more of his kinsman turned and leapt into the air, a few loose feathers floating down to rest in the mud. Finally, only Assyrian, his sister, and a few others were left. Turning to make eye contact with each of them, Assyrian received a nod from the remainder of his comrades. They then took their first steps into this strange new world and into their new lives as part of it. Shedding any unhappy thoughts as they walked, the small group of winged people walked through the gates and the magical barrier surround the school grounds, and entered their new lives as Guardians.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked quickly down the stairs on their way to the McGonagall's office. Neville had walked in that morning with a written note from their new headmaster that the three of them were to go immediately to see her when they were dressed and ready.

"What do you think it's about?" Hermione asked her friends worriedly, already a number of scenarios running through her head in which they had all been expelled multiple times.

Harry was the first one to answer, also being the one least concerned about their summons from the new headmaster. "It's probably about that food fight Ron started yesterday in supper." he said casually, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Hermione's face went pale, almost as pale as Ron's.

Luckily, the latter of the two recognized Harry's joke and was able to laugh it off. "Yea right! She probably just wants to talk about how you blasted half the hospital wing mate." Ron joked back with an elbow to Harry's ribs.

Hermione's face went red and she pushed the two boys apart with a huff. "Honestly, I have no idea how either of you has managed to stay in school this long. I wouldn't be surprised if you're both expelled on sight." she snapped, her own anxiety making her edgy. Her words, however, had far from the desired effect and the two boys kept on their jokes until they reached the stone gargoyles that stood outside the circling staircase leading to McGonagall's office.

Taking a deep breath, Harry said the password that had been on the note Neville had given them. "Lemon sherbet." His voice shook slightly with sudden unease. Hermione caught this waver and thought that perhaps her words had scored a little bit of a hit after all.

Silence engulfed the trio as they ascended the stairs and entered the large room that was McGonagall's office. The many paintings of former headmasters circled around the room. Some were empty, some held napping and snoring men. To Harry's dismay, the familiar face of Dumbledore was missing. Probably off scouting in one of his many other portraits scattered across the country.

Ever since the battle between Lord Voldemort and the Order/Hogwarts/anybody else who had joined in to help, the former headmasters had been making frequent visits to their multiple pictures in order to help track down any rogue death eaters still outside of Azkaban. When they weren't on a recon mission, the headmasters would come back to their Hogwarts paintings to sleep before going back out to search.

However, the three students soon found that they weren't alone in the office. Hermione was the first to see the slender form of one of the winged people. Long black hair hung all the way down to a thin waist. Under the thick mane were two swords strapped in an X across the figure's back, two jeweled hilts rising above tense shoulders and sparkling in the candlelight. A silk shirt hung loosely on the figures upper torso, the back cut low. The figure was wearing what looked to be leather pants, probably from a dear that it had skinned. The boots were much the same, simple raw hide boots that rose barely an inch below where the back of the knee should be and having a flat sole. But the thing that startled the three teenagers the most were the wings that cascaded down the figure's back all the way to the lower part of the calves. Like the long hair they were black, but the wings were similar to a crow's or a raven's. Blue and purple undertones were clearly visible when the light shone correctly on the magnificent feathers. To say the least, the young students were in awe.

Hermione nudged Ron who turned from looking at the portraits and dropped his jaw, Harry's eyes widening as he instantly drew his wand and pointed it at the figure's back. A strange noise was audible from the winged figure, it was speaking but in a different language. Suddenly, a hand rested on Harry's shoulder and his faced jerked to look directly at Professor McGonagall. He expected his teacher to be cross with him but her eyes were glued on the shadowed figure standing in front of them. Harry began to wonder if his teacher had known she had a visitor.

Before he had time to contemplate this thought, another winged person materialized by McGonagall's side. This one was a male. He had the same black hair as the first figure, and startling silver eyes. There were many scars on his face and bare chest, the worst of which seemed to be a long, pale line that stretched across the front of his throat. Six throwing knives lined his ribs—three on each side—as well as a broad sword that was strapped to his back. Once again like the first figure, the man also had a pair of dark wings that were folded neatly over the sword. However, the students could see that the wings of the male were colored differently than the figure's when he stepped past them to quickly jump to the side of the shadowed figure. Instead of black with underlying colors of blue and purple, his wings were a silver gray with swirls of shadow among the intricate feathers. Similar to the color of a cloud when a full moon is shining behind it.

Everyone was silent as the man reached the first's side, his arms and wings engulfing the figure in a gentle embrace as if shielding the figure from some invisible force. They stood like that for a few minutes, perfect silence settling over the room. Finally, the male moved away and McGonagall brightened the room with a flourish of her wand. The added brightness allowed the three teenagers to see the rest of their surroundings, and also the four other winged people that were standing against the far wall. Their sudden appearance surprised Hermione and one smirked at her gasp.

McGonagall's sharp voice quickly quieted all snickering and indignant huffs that followed. "Assyrian, I trust will be able keep your men in check while in front of the students?" Annoyance laced her already icy voice making her sound even more formidable.

The silver winged male turned with a smile on his face, the figure beside him turning as well. Her eyes were the most startling thing about her face. Slanting like a cat's her pupils were just the slightest bit elongated; black ovals in a sea of steely silver that flashed dangerously in the light of the candles. Added to her high cheekbones that also angled upwards and her long dark mane, Harry found her extraordinarily intoxicating.

But her gorgeous features changed in an instant with a menacing snarl. Her wings unfurled and stretched out slightly as she crouched, ready to spring. Her finger tips touched the floor and Harry took a step back, his mind flashing back to the last time a winged creature had stood snarling in front of him.

His thoughts of Buckbeak momentarily brought him peace, but his thoughts quickly returned to the scuffle at hand. Harry took another step back and then felt himself falling; he had stepped on a loose shoelace.

Pain, blood. Ripping, tearing. That was what Harry expected as the back of his head hit the ground and his vision went black. But it never came. Rational thought returned to the teenager and the fact that his eyes were merely closed was quickly realized. When he opened them Harry saw and felt both of his friends pulling him to his feet. The winged girl was standing stiffly behind them, Assyrian grasping her arms so tightly his knuckles had turned white. McGonagall was focused partly on Harry and partly on keeping a thick shield up with her wand.

"What was the meaning of that?!" she cried, her fury briefly causing the headmaster to lose her composure. "You're here to guard the students not attack them!"

The female merely glared at Harry, her silver eyes filled with hate and contempt. Assyrian jerked her arm firmly, turning her to face him. The tall man held her shoulders in his large hands, completely covering them. Harry and his friends expected him to yell, to at least say _something_. But their expectations were met with quiet glaring between the pair. Finally, the female made an indignant growl/yelp. "They have no right!" she snarled at the male, her lips pulled back to reveal cat-like fangs. "They act like they are better than us even when _they _are the ones asking _us_ for help! And then you are angry with me?! I believe I have failed to see your reasoning in this brother. Turning against your kin for a stick holding cub who fails to even _walk_!" Her shoulders heaved with her pants when the rant finished. Her lips still curled back and the feathers on her wings fluffed up.

Assyrian responded instantly with a swift backhand that sent his sister reeling to the floor. He glared at his comrades who moved as if to help her up, obviously trying to prove a point by his brutal actions: Remember your place.

Brother glared at sister for a few quiet seconds before the latter stood, her wings quivering with her anger. "I swore I would stay." she said, her voice thick with rage. "I said _nothing_ about guarding one of _them_." She spat the word 'them' as if it were a curse, a bad taste in her mouth that she wanted to get out. Either way, it was clear that she detested humans.

"Enough!" McGonagall said sharply, coming to everyone's rescue. "I called these students to my office in order to allow them to meet the people who would be _guarding_ them. Not so they could be attacked by them!" She cast a pointed glare towards Assyrian's sister. "Now, it's almost nine o'clock and it is still to be seen that these three students receive _competent_ guards that won't try to kill them!" Assyrian turned his head away with guilt while his sister glared at the floor. Harry was slightly afraid she might burn a hole in the wood if the fury in her gaze became any more intensified. "Now then," McGonagall stood up tall and straightened her robes with a few quick tugs while simultaneously allowing the shield she had conjured to fade away, "you may return tomorrow and we will sort this matter out then. For now, it's late and the students should be in bed." She quirked a brow and pursed her lips before adding an annoyed afterthought clearly directed at Assyrian's sister. "And I trust by then you will have learned to control your emotions better?"

With that as an end note, the headmaster turned and escorted Harry and his friends back to their dormitory. Muttering about how 'they might seem scary and dangerous' but they were 'actually very sophisticated' and 'carried wisdom from thousands of years ago'. As well as being 'amazing fighters'.

After a few minutes, the four of them reached the fat lady's painting. "Now, off to bed with all of you. No late night walks, and no visits from any one." McGonagall warned them before turning on her heel and walking at a brisk pace towards her office.

"Well done Harry, you managed to not only jeopardize our educations but also our lives!" Hermione said sharply before turning and glaring at the eagerly watching fat lady. "Snorcax!" she almost growled, her feet stomping slightly as she stalked into the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron followed her looking back and forth at each other, both with bemused looks on their faces.

The two boys said a quick good night to Hermione once in the common room, and then their ways parted as she went to the girl's dormitories and Harry and Ron went to the boy's. Harry smiled at the familiar sight of his bed, the activities that night having taken an unexpected toll. He quickly dug through his trunk and traded his school robes for a pair of red and white striped pajamas. Flopping down on his sheets, Harry yanked the covers up over his head and turned onto his side before closing his eyes with a sigh.

He fell asleep dreaming of silver eyes and black wings.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

Venom. It ran through her veins as thick as the blood. But beside it burned the fire. The fire that had saved not only her life, but her brother's as well. And how had she been repaid? Exile. Once a proud heir to the throne of her people and now, she was nothing more than a castaway. The large 'E' carved into one of her shoulders solidified this. It told everyone who and what she was. If they knew where to look.

But that was the past, and the past was one thing she had vowed never to think about. She lived by her own words: what's done is done, there's no going back. And no matter how much she hurt or resented herself, she refused to think about her mistakes. She refused to think about her past. Yesterday was not a word in her vocabulary, there was only today and tomorrow. And yet, she found herself surrounded by constant reminders of her previous life.

Her own brother gave her pain now. She hadn't asked him to follow her that day but he had, and then the flames had taken control. Her body had shifted into some mutant form. Diamond hard scales had covered her soft child's skin, the feathers falling from her wings to reveal a black membrane and spikes beneath. Six spikes in total—three on each wing to serve as extra weapons during a fight—and they were all filled with the deadly venom she had possessed since birth. When the men finally overcame their fear and attacked, the fight proved to be a short one. But her brother, her precious brother, had been mortally wounded. She had never known there to be so much blood in a person's body as there had been that night. But she could remember as more and more of the red liquid spilled from the multiple lacerations covering her brother's mangled body.

There had been no conscious thought; her instincts had merely moved her hands and the flow of energy. Some ancient wisdom had caused her to act before she had time to fully understand what she was doing. Before she knew it, her brother was sitting up and was alive. His face was pale and he was still covered in blood, but the wounds that had just seconds before covered his body were no longer there. She had gone beyond healing him. She had brought him back from the brink of death. Something none of her people had ever done before. Unfortunately her youth had hindered her cure, leaving her brother eternally dumb. His vocal chords, sliced with his throat by the sword of man, had been left apart. Never would he speak again.

She knew he didn't blame her, in fact he thanked her. Though she failed to see why. She had taken away his voice and yet he still treated her like she was his savior. Every day she saw him, and every day a stake was driven straight through her heart. His unconditional love had caused him to follow her, even when she was driven away from their home. Their own father had said the words; their own father had sliced the 'E' into her shoulder and then pushed her out into the biting cold of a winter storm. And he had followed her. Her older brother, always there by her side from that moment on. Their minds had replaced their mouths, and then they had found the other Exiles. With them, they had become Guardians.

His face still haunted her dreams, his voice endlessly echoing her name. The most painful of her memories, and also the shortest.

Chase.

Just to think his name made her heart stagger. No one had ever gotten to her as he had. No one had ever been able to tear down the walls she kept around herself. And no one had ever been able to leave the same scar across her heart that he had.

Chase had been her first charge, and her first love. He was always so safe, he never got hurt. She got cocky, and then let him down. It had been late; he had forgotten his phone in the car. Usually, she would have followed him outside but tonight she had deluded herself into thinking that nothing could or ever would happen. She was reading a book, sitting on his bed. That was when she heard the click as the hammer of a gun was pulled back. The blast had echoed through her ears as she leapt through the window and desperately tried to reach the gunman. Just like when her brother had been in danger, the fire had consumed her body and she had again shifted into the form of a dragon. But the bullet was faster than she was in any form.

Though the gunman died not a second after the projectile left the muzzle of the pistol, not even the wisdom of ancients could save her beloved. Chase had died, bleeding and broken. His words still resonated through her mind as she held him in her arms, choking on his own blood as he tried to speak. "I'm sorry…"

And just like that, he was gone. Chase Smith was gone. And the rest of the world didn't even notice.

After his death, she had cried for three days. Since then, her eyes have never watered again. She became hard and uncaring, and just like 'yesterday' had, 'love' slipped from her vocabulary. The only emotion she ever showed was anger, and of this she showed regularly. Her comrades came to fear her wrath, only her brother standing against her to fight. And it was to him only that she would step down. Assyrian was and always would be the one person she would never fight.

Maybe it was her last act of love, that her brother would forever control her hand. Maybe it was just weak sentimentality on her part, but after going through so much pain and loss she couldn't bear to even think about raising a hand to the one she had saved so long ago.

So, just as he had followed her during their childhood, she had followed him when he traveled back to the realm of the humans. The night before they reached the castle, Assyrian had made her swear that she would stay there until they all left together and she had complied easily. But when she saw the humans, when they had poked and prodded at her trying to decide exactly what she was, anger had overwhelmed her and she had acted on it. The wizard had convulsed like any other prey animal would, except Assyrian stopped his death and fixed his neck. That had been the first time he had gone against her.

Later, when that boy was staring at her, the anger had risen again. But more than the anger was the guilt. He had looked at her with such longing and awe that she felt the bond beginning to form. The same bond that she once had with Chase. She wanted to feel a man's touch again, but wouldn't that be betraying the memory of the love she once had? Wouldn't it be better if she denied herself these delights so she could keep not only herself safe, but the human boy as well? After what happened the last time she took a charge, maybe it would be better if she just left. If she went away into the forest, letting the trees govern her actions and the animals be her family.

No.

She could never bring herself to leave her brother. He was the one thing she cherished among all others, she couldn't leave. And he had made her swear to not try and run, he made her swear on her own blood. No, leaving wouldn't bring her anything accept more pain, more anguish.

She sighed and dropped from her perch in one of the large trees in the forest surrounding the school. She had to do a perimeter sweep. Even though they didn't have individual charges yet, it was still their job to make sure the grounds were clear.

Black fur rippled across her skin and her human form was replaced with that of a giant wolf as she touched ground. Falling into an easy lope, she took up the mile-eating pace that the ancestors of this form had possessed since the dawn of time. Her silver eyes melted into an amber gold, unlike her brother's whose would have stayed the same in all forms. Unlike her kinsman, her forms were pure and had been since the fire had consumed her body.

As if her thoughts had summoned them, a dark shaped materialized on her right and another flanking her left. If not for their familiar smell, she might have suspected they were inhabitants of the forest she had just left. As it was, their presence reassured her and further pushed her thoughts of leaving into the depths of her consciousness. Grey fur that faded into white on the underbelly and paws covered the wolf on her right, Etrussen. Dark grey fur completely covered the wolf running on her left shoulder except for a whit streak in the middle of his chest, Archay.

While they trotted along, Archay touched his nose to her shoulder in a hello before brushing his conscience against hers. In these forms, they spoke not with their tongues but with their minds. It was common courtesy to "knock" before barging into someone's thoughts. She allowed him into her mind and waited for Etrussen to join their conference. When they both felt his presence in their minds, Archay spoke.

'Your brother was wondering where you were.' He said his voice low and warm in her thoughts.

'Let him wonder.' She replied simply, feigning indifference.

Archay whined and rolled his blue eyes, keeping pace with her easily.

'You might like it better here if you do not try to alienate your kin.' Etrussen cut in. Being the oldest and the largest, he was often the voice of reason in small quarrels as well as large ones. Even so he stepped down to Assyrian and accepted him as the leader; the others followed his example and gave her brother their full loyalty. 'It would make it easier to deal with your feelings.'

She growled low in her throat. Only he could tell what she felt, only his senses were that acute. 'I am not alienating anyone. If he wants to find me then he should come and look. Not send you two to search for me.' She replied hotly, her hackles rising a bit.

Etrussen gave as much of a shrug as he could while running, and gave a small chuckling yelp. 'Have it your way then. You should know, however, that your brother has left you out of the individual guardianship. Instead you'll just be a sentry with Archay and Juilen. The least you could do is thank him for doing what you want.' He dug his paws in to stop, letting the other two wolves continue running as he turned for the school. 'Again.' The afterthought was his goodbye, and he severed his connection with the two younger shape shifters.

They ran in peaceful quiet for a few moments before Archay broke the silence. 'Myrina, you will make peace with him won't you?' He asked anxiously, stopping to sit back on his haunches and cock his head.

Myrina stopped and lowered her head, pulling in a deep breath of air. 'I will. When it is time.' With that she began her run again, leaving Archay behind. A few minutes later, she felt him sever the connection.

She had run three miles before she finally stopped. Loneliness enveloped her and she sat back on her haunches, her thoughts turning to the green eyed boy. It didn't make sense that he would tug at her heart so continuously. She didn't know him; she didn't want to know him. She shook her head quickly, shoving any thoughts about the human out of her mind.

Turning her golden eyes up to the moon, Myrina studied the beauty there. The stars shone brightly and the full moon acted like a spot light upon her. And then came the snow. It fell on her black fur until she appeared white. She sat there, letting the snow slowly cover her paws. A cold wind blew, raising her fur and sending a chill down her spine. Myrina pushed herself to her paws with a sigh, turning to walk into the woods. The snow had difficulty falling through the tight branches and so she curled up at the base of a giant tree. The roots jutted out of the dirt and provided a sort of barrier to keep the snow from falling on her and the wind from blowing through her fur again. There, she fell into a deep slumber.

***

Assyrian's paws left giant marks in the snow as he headed into the trees. Archay had told him where his sister had been when their farewell had been made. Once he knew where she had left off, her scent was easy to follow. The snow revealed her tracks where she had walked into the forest. He shook his magnificent mane as soon as he was sure the trees would keep the snow off of his fur. Myrina's black body blended in with the mottled trunk of the tree, and if it hadn't been for his keen sense of smell and 20/20 night vision, he probably would have missed her completely. As it was, he almost walked past her.

He sat back on his haunches, his long tail tapping softly on the dirt. Love was clear in his eyes as he looked upon his sister. She had curled herself in a ball to stay warm, her tail covering her dark muzzle. Assyrian's golden fur rippled and changed to the darker, thicker fur of a giant bear. He walked to Myrina's side, curling up beside her and offering his own body heat to keep her warm. Sleep finally took him as the rest of their comrades arrived, lying down beside them in various cold weather forms.

They were one.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

Harry woke up to Ron and Dean jumping around yelling about snow. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with one hand, reaching over to grab his glasses with the other. "Why are you yelling about snow?" he asked sleepily before giving a huge yawn.

"Well come look for yourself mate!" Ron crowed gleefully as he yanked Harry out of his bed.

Yelping when is bare feet touched the cold floor, Harry found himself being shoved towards the window. Outside, the grounds were blanketed in white diamonds. The fields were so bright they almost blinded him to look. He turned away rubbing his eyes again. "Ron, it snows every year. What's so good about this snow?" Harry grumbled, grumpy about being woken up before he was ready.

Ron and Dean stopped their frolicking, looking at each other and then at Harry. "Today's the first Quiditch match of the year Harry." Ron answered, looking confused. "Don't you remember?"

The mentioning of Quiditch zapped Harry to his senses and he quickly remembered that today _was_ the first match. They were going against Slytherin and Draco wasn't that good of a flyer on a good day. There was no way he was staying on his broom in a snowstorm. "Yahoo!" Harry cheered, wasting no time joining in on the revelry.

***

The Quiditch pitch was beautiful, covered in snow and sparkling. The snitch would be almost too easy to see against this white backdrop. Harry's robes billowed around him as he walked out of the changing rooms, Ron by his side. Giving his friend a wry grin Ron mounted his broom and kicked off, soaring into the sky. Harry laughed good naturedly and followed. They circled the pitch once and then the Slytherin team followed them into the sky. Their green and black robes stood out against the white snow; Draco's white-blonde hair was amazingly visible against the snow. Harry smirked as his rival ascended until he hovered in front of him.

"So Potter, I hope you don't feel too bad when you lose today!" Draco sneered, which wasn't hard for him because his face always looked scrunched up like he had a bad taste in his mouth.

Harry gave an amused snort. "Yea right Malfoy. I just hope you don't go crying to your mum when I knock you off your broom." He blinked as if he had just remembered something. "Oh that's right. You can't because she locked up in Azkaban with your half-wit dad!"

Draco's kick would have caused Harry to fall but instead it knocked him off balance when the would be receiver dodged lighting fast. Draco wobbled on his broom for a few seconds before he could regain his balance. "You'll pay for that Potter!" he snarled before twisting and soaring away to his side of the pitch.

Harry merely shrugged, still smiling. He leaned forward and pulled the nose of his broom up to go higher, rising until he could see the entire Quiditch pitch. Soon the game had started and the snitch had been released. His eyes scanning the field for familiar glint of gold. Five minutes later, and he saw it. It was hovering around the Gryffindor goal post. Unfortunately, Draco had seen it just a second before. They raced toward the snitch, shoulder to shoulder.

Ron cheered at Harry as they approached the goals, "Go Harry!!"

Harry leaned lower down on his broom, willing it to go faster. He bit his lip with anticipation, stretching his hand out. Just as he was about to grab the snitch, it darted to the right and the chase was on.

Draco caught up with Harry, his own hand stretched out. The snitch darted away again, just as it had almost been in their grasp. Draco snarled and shoved his opponent's shoulder, trying to knock him of his broom. "Cut it out!" Harry growled, as he shoved back.

They both veered after the snitch, urging their brooms as fast as they would go. Harry was only a few inches away; he could almost feel the snitch in his hand. The thin wings fluttered against the palm of his hand.

The crowd gave a collective gasp and Draco yelped, pulling his broom back. Harry was too focused to give up. He stretched out farther over his broom, desperately reaching for the small golden ball. He felt thin wings flapping madly, trying to escape its captor. Just… A little… Farther…

There! He got it! The snitch was in his hand!

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry jerked his broom aside to dodge the killing curse that had been cast at him. The nose barely ticked the ground, but it was enough to send him flying through the air. He hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. Harry tried urgently to get to his feet and pull his wand out, but a giant foot caught him in the back and he flew forward again. Someone laughed from behind him as spells were shouted somewhere in the distance. A hand grabbed him by the back of his robes yanking him up until he was hanging in mid air.

"Do you think I should just kill him, or should I make him suffer?" A familiar voice snarled. Fenrir Greyback.

"Oh no, I daresay you should torture him a bit Fenrir." The voice of Bellatrix Lestrange sent Harry into a rage. He wasn't sure how she had managed to stay out of Azkaban for so long, but she wasn't going to stay free for much longer.

"You!" He yelled, furious. "I'll kill you!"

At this he received a maniacal cackle. "Oh like I killed my dear cousin? Sirius Black!"

Harry kicked as hard as he could, one of his heels landing a direct hit in Fenrir's stomach. Doubling over, the werewolf dropped his captive and Harry launched himself at Bellatrix.

"Crucio!!" Cried the witch with wicked glee.

Dropping to the ground, writhing in pain, Harry was rendered helpless. Bellatrix cackled again with a flourish of her wand; the pain intensified. The teenager cried out from the force of the curse, his eyes screwed shut.

"Scream Harry! Scream!" Bellatrix howled, dancing around like she was possessed. "You'll be with your precious Sirius soon!"

Fenrir threw back his head gave a howl of laughter, but it was cut short when a boot connected with the side of his head. He roared in anger and turned around to glare straight into the eyes of the female winged person. Bellatrix turned to see what had happened to her partner, and gasped at the giant black wings spread wide. She raised her wand, pointing it straight at the female's chest. The latter leapt, snarling as she did so.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed.

"Myrina!!" Another voice screamed as a body launched itself at Bellatrix. Fenrir by that time had regained his composure however and met the body in mid-air, beginning a chorus of snarls.

The female, Myrina, fell to the ground with a scream. "That's only a taste of what real pain feels like!" Bellatrix screamed maniacally. Her face went blank with horror when Myrina staggered to her feet. "No! Nooo!!" she screamed, partly in fear and partly in anger.

Myrina's form rippled and fur spread across her skin as she transformed into a tiger. She growled as she sucked in a deep breath, and then the air was ripped apart by the volume of her savage roar. Bellatrix stumbled back a step, apparently having forgotten the wand she still grasped in her hand. Myrina launched herself forward, but the death eater suddenly remembered her weapon. "Avada Kedavra!" she shrieked.

The curse flew over Myrina's right shoulder. Her front paws landed on Bellatrix's shoulders and she tackled the witch. They stayed frozen for a few terrible seconds. Myrina held Bellatrix pinned beneath her, the hand in which the wand was held securely restrained. Jade eyes looked down into black, and deeper almost as if they were looking at the witch's soul. And then, the tigress opened her giant maw and severed the the vein in the witch's throat that carried the precious life blood.

Within seconds, Bellatrix Lestrange was dead.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

The aftermath of the attack passed very quickly to Harry. McGonagall and a few other teachers had appeared around them and chased away Fenrir, and sometime amongst the chaos Ron and Hermione had taken their places beside him. Myrina disappeared for a time, leaving the winged man who had fought with her behind. Soon, however, he too seemed to dissolve into the growing crowd. And there was a crowd.

What had begun as only a few students and teachers had grown into the entire school body gathered around Harry and his friends. Their voices grew as well from a few mumbles to everyone shouting over each other to ask Harry how he had managed to kill Bellatrix. But the stunned young man could only stare at the corpse of his most hated enemy in silence.

Finally, a strong hand gripped his shoulder and began towing him through the crowd. Looking up to see who his savior was Harry saw the blonde hair of Firenze the centaur and astronomy professor. "Move aside." His deep voice struck every student silent and seemed to control them like a spell. Almost instantly, a clear path had been made through the mob of witches and wizards.

The ten minute walk back up to the castle seemed like hours to Harry, but they eventually arrived without further problems from the rest of the student body. Myrina met them at the doors, her silver eyes narrowing when she saw Firenze. The later of whose reaction was much more pronounced. "Daemon." He spat the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, but this only earned an amused smirk from Myrina. Firenze stomped a hoof impatiently when the winged woman didn't move. "Are you going to stand there like an imbecile waiting for Harry to get attacked again or are you going to move and let him go into safety?" His words were clipped and he spoke quickly as if he was in a hurry to get away from her.

"By all means." Myrina's voice was thick as honey and twice as sweet. She gave a sarcastic bow while stepping to the side, the smirk giving her face an evil look that reminded Harry of a daemon as he walked by her.

Firenze's hooves made soft clopping noises on the marble floor of the Great Hall as the five of them made their way to the headmistress's office. The centaur with the fur of sunlight led the way while Harry walked beside him, Ron and Hermione directly behind their best friend, and last but most definitely not least Myrina. If anyone had seen this unusual band walking down the hall, there in no doubt they would be completely surprised by the usual friendly Firenze's sour disposition toward the shapeshifter guard. Every so often, he would glance back at her with vehement dislike, snorting with irritation. His behavior only seemed to goad the young woman into more sarcastic display of politeness however, and each time he looked back at her, Myrina would give a small smirk and dip her head as if to bow to him. Each time she did this, Firenze, in reply, would give anther – and louder – snort. Once or twice he even shook his head. The three students were forced in between this feuding pair with much discomfort, but what could they do? On one side was a centaur with razor sharp hooves, and on the other was a young shapeshifter woman whose power was as of yet unknown to the three. They cold only hope that no real fights broke out while they were stuck in the no man's land.

Finally, the spiraling staircase leading to McGonagall's office came into view as they rounded a corner. Firenze spoke the password to the stone gargoyle and reluctantly stepped back. "Harry, Ron, Hermione," the great centaur began, bowing to them as he said their name respectively, "I am afraid that this is as far as I am able to accompany you. McGonagall will be waiting for you at her desk." With a great sweeping bow and a flick of his tail Firenze allowed the four of them to walk past him and enter the stairway, maybe giving a disgusted glance at Myrina as she passed by.

Harry had just placed his foot on the first step when an iron strong hand closed around his shoulder and turned him back around. Surprised at the sudden contact, the student looked up wide-eyed into the stern face of – once again – Firenze. He gave a glance at Myrina who looked on suspiciously before leaning close and whispering a few urgent words into Harry's ear. "Tell McGonagall that her suspicions were correct and that she would do well to watch out from now on." The centaur briefly released Harry but quickly jerked him back before the young man could go too far. Once more, the Firenze hissed a few words into Harry's ear and then shoved him towards the stair case. Glancing back before the twist of the stair way could take the tall centaur from his view, Harry saw the last disgusted glare given to Myrina – which she simply ignored – and then Firenze cantered off the down the hall. The four beat clopping of his hooves echoed down the hall way long after Harry had lost sight of him.

"Harry come on, let's go."

Ron's prod to Harry's back and slightly agitated voice broke him of his trance and he quickly started up the spiraling stair case. Within the moment they arrived in McGonagall's office, a familiar twinge of pain in Harry's chest as he thought about Dumbledore sitting behind his ancient wooden desk. '_Stop that, there's no use wishing for something that not even magic can bring back so just stop it.' _Harry gave a startled jump and twisted to the side at the thought, something like fear and anger coursing through him along with the adrenaline.

"What the -? Harry! Knock it off!" Hermione's voice quickly reminded Harry of where he was and stopped any further thrashing around from happening, however, it couldn't chase away the prickling of the hairs on the back of his neck that made him think someone was watching him. A small jolt of fear still steadily coursed through his veins as well, a simple fact running through his head. _That wasn't my voice…._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

Harry was aware of Myrina's eyes boring into his back as he regained his balance, but that was quickly put out of his mind by the stern – and at this moment, slightly disappointed – gaze of Headmistress McGonagall. "I trust you are well Potter?" her voice was pitched with annoyance at his sudden behavior and it was obvious she found it less than convincing of further investigation. But even so, there was something else weighing on her voice, could it have been worry? The young man didn't have time to wonder about this because at that moment, his professor once again started to speak. "You three know why I have called you here I'm sure. These recent attacks have given me reason to suspect a greater force leading these rebel witches and wizards than I had previously expected. Now, I have done some discussing with the previous headmasters," she gave a flourish of her hand, motioning to the many portraits that hung on the walls around them, "and we have all decided that it might be best to send some of the more risk inclined students home." Her voice ebbed, leaving the room less than noisy and more than silent, the only thing truly complete being the piercing gaze of her green eyes.

Surprisingly, Hermione was the first to object; her outburst completely cutting off those of Harry and Ron. "What? But Professor that's crazy! Hogwarts is the safest place in the world for any untaught witch or wizard! If they can't come here then where else can they go?" Hermione's voice was shrill with disbelief and outrage, emotions that Harry and Ron shared alike. Even Myrina, an outsider to their world, could see the lack of reason in McGonagall's proposal, but unlike the rest she had the sense to keep her mouth shut and wait to see what would happen. Harry on the other hand wasn't so sensible. "Yea, she's right Professor. A lot of students count on this place as a sort of home. To some, it's all they have…" He let the sentence drop, old pain surfacing once again with the thoughts of never truly belonging until he came to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had made this his home, but now, his mentor and friend was gone. So why did he still fight to stay?

"Perhaps," a woman's voice spoke, the tones quiet yet firm: Myrina, "I could help with finding them a temporary place to stay. And I _stress_ temporary."

Every one was startled at her offer, even McGonagall's eyes widened for a moment. The female shape shifter's eyes darted between each of the humans, never settling on one for too long. Harry could tell she was uncomfortable about making such a proposition, but she seemed cemented on her decision to help. However, McGonagall only nodded her head and replied as if this was completely reasonable. "Alright then, a week at the most. Maybe sooner if these raids slow down at all here. You may prepare your men for travel, I'll have the students gather their things and you'll be able to start on your way by evening."

Myrina gave a curt nod of the head then spun on her heal and briskly walked out of the room. Shortly after, McGonagall dismissed Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they all went back to their dorms to pack a few days of clothes and whatever else they may need away from Hogwarts.

The cold winter air tried and tried to cut through her new jeans and T-shirt, but even though her arms and face were bare to the weather she still felt perfectly warm. Myrina took in a deep breath, closing her silver eyes. When they opened again, they were amber orbs of flame. The young shapeshifter's body was no longer relatively human, instead it was completely lupine. Just as before, jet-black fur rippled out across her body and a subtle cracking noise coming from her bones as they rearranged themselves into more wolf-friendly positions. Within a second, the transformation was complete and she was bounding across the snow; wind whipping in her charcoal fur as her powerful legs carried her faster and faster over the grounds. It wasn't long before the familiar mind of her brother brushed against her thoughts, his way of asking permission before crossing her mental boundaries. When she made no move to stop him, he spoke. 'So I suppose we're going back now?' He asked though the feeling in the question let Myrina know he was merely asking out of etiquette. In reality, he knew what she would do before she did herself; that was one of his gifts and his flaws.

'You already know the answer to that, but since you insist on playing the idiot I will gift you with an answer. Yes, we are going back to Kyradoth, and were taking three students with us.' The sister replied, her mental voice playfully sarcastic. 'Round up the men, we need to be out of here by dusk.'

'Alright, but if I am correct, you are closer to one than you think…'

Myrina would have questioned him, but there was a sudden sense of solitude that made her realize he had severed their connection. However, her moment of solitude didn't last long. As the large she-wolf slowed her sprint to a steady trot, another huge figure loomed in the shadows. The female kept one eye constantly trained on the shadowy bulk but she soon relaxed when she realized it was just Julian, her comrade and – once – personal guard. If she hadn't been in the form of a wolf, then a smile would have briefly graced her face, as it was her teeth bared for a moment in an attempted canine grin.

'You called m'lady?' As always, the lean male came out of now where and was heartily welcomed. Out of all the men and women she had served with – besides Assyrian of course – Julian was by far her favorite and most trusted.

A mental laugh crossed their bond: a token of Myrina's happiness in which Julian readily shared. He was always up for a laugh, no matter the reason. 'To you, my friend, I always call. But, this time it was not for a leisurely run; we are returning to Kyradoth. And we are bringing three humans with us.' She replied to him, her happiness and affection crossing through their connection and returned by her friend.

'Ahaah! With you the surprises never seem to end Myrina! Three humans you say? Well, I suppose that can't be helped. When will we leave?'

'Dusk. Be ready.'

A laugh echoed through Myrina's thoughts sounding an awful lot like that of Julian's. 'M'lady, I was born ready.' Their link was severed when Julian, being on the right side of Myrina and on her far side of the school, briefly dug his paws in to whip himself to the left and take off as fast as he could to retrieve the students from the castle-like school.

The young female watched him go, still trotting, then chuckled to herself and leaped forward. She ran toward Assyrian and the rest of her men. When she reached them, the siblings would tell them what was happening and then they would be on their way. The young woman only hoped things would go according to plan…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

Harry and Ron pack their clothes in relative silence, every once in a while one of them asking if the other knew where something was. "Hey mate, you seen that sweater mum knitted for me last Christmas?" Ron asked once, obvious homesickness in his voice. To tell the truth, Harry felt the same way; they had both been looking forward to returning to the Weasley's huge house during the upcoming holidays. The fact that they wouldn't be going had hit them both hard, and though she tried to hide it, Ginny was also missing her family.

"No Ron, have you looked under your bed?" Harry had replied, looking under his own bed for anything that he might have forgotten.

"Oh yea! Here it is! Thanks mate!" Harry had to give his friend props, he was trying very hard to sound cheery and excited not wanting to bring Harry down, but it just wasn't enough. For either of them.

Finally, both their trunks were stuffed to the brim and they sat down with a huff on Harry's bed. They sat side by side, staring at the floor, both knowing something should be said but neither of them knowing what that something was. It was Ron who finally broke the silence, "I feel like we're going off to find horcruxes again."

Harry gave a stilted attempt at a laugh, but he only succeeded in receiving a less than fooled look from Ron. He sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair before replying morosely to his best friend, "Yea, but at least this time we know…" He had been going to say they knew they would come back, but did they? Was it truly certain that they would all come back? What if there was some freak accident and they all died? What if a Death Eater somehow managed to follow them and killed them while everyone else was asleep? What if, what if, what if? Harry sighed again and stood, charming his trunk to float out in front of him with Ron quickly following suit. "We know that we're all together and friends and that there isn't anything that can ever change that." Harry finished, trying to give his friend – and himself though he didn't want to admit it just yet – some much needed courage.

Ron only gave him a half grin in reply before walking past and heading down to the common room. Hermione, and Ginny were already there waiting for them; both lounging for what may be the last time that year in the large luxurious chairs before the fire place. When they realized the boys had entered, the two girls looked up, anxious faces on both of them. "Well it took you two long enough." Hermione chastised, her nerves putting her on edge. Harry and Ron both made a mental note not to do anything that would make her mad. "Well, since you both made us late, we better hurry down to the great hall right now and try to make up for lost time." With that, the young, muggle-born witch turned and swept out of the common room with Ginny close on her heels. Harry and Ron exchanged tense glances before following them.

The walk down to the Great Hall took only a matter of minutes as the stair cases were being unusually helpful. Harry wondered if McGonagall had anything to do with that. _Surely not, she's probably waiting right now and getting ready to get on to us for being late._ He thought before putting any thought of the new headmaster and his transfiguration teacher out of his mind.

As the four of them rounded the hall, raised voices reached their ears. One was McGonagall's and one was the voice of a man they didn't recognize, and then came Myrina's voice filled – as always – with irritation and resentment.

"Now I am sorry, you are getting two more students than you had expected, but with these constant raids I cannot in good conscience keep them here!" McGonagall was saying rather loudly. Harry could just picture her face as they slowed down just before they reached the corner; curled wisps of graying brown hair would be sticking out of her usually neat bun, her green eyes would be wide, and the nostrils of her sharp nose would be flared like a rearing mare's.

"How dare you stand here and act like this is okay?" This was the unrecognizable voice and all four of the students instantly found they disliked it from the start. "Do you understand what kind of an insult this is to my-"

Whatever he was going to say was instantly cut off and ever voice went silent as Myrina's voice snarled over them. "_Enough_!" She hissed, a sharp pain jolting through Harry's head and, by their collective winces, his friends' as well. "Ivan, I know you feel like we have been slighted in a significant manner, but if you would only take the time to gather your wits you would see other wise. And, Professor, I know you feel as if you are completely in the right here, but do you not think that it might have been a better idea to check with us before you made such a decision on your own?" She paused for a moment, glancing up as Harry and the rest rounded the corner as silently as they could. "But both of you –"

"No!" The unrecognizable man was speaking again, shaking his head and clamping his hands over his ears before looking up and pointing an accusatory finger at Assyrian who Harry knew to be Myrina's brother. "You! You don't put words in her mouth! She speaks for hersel-!"

The strange man went flying to the left when the female shapeshifter's fist connected with curve of his jaw. She leaped at him, and pinned him down by straddling his chest and pressing her fist into his throat. A snarl curled her lips and her beautiful, raven-like wings flared away from her body in what Harry guessed to be a display of dominance. One fist slowly pulled back in a position ready to strike as she spoke, her voice warped by fury that this man had dared to raise his voice at her brother. "I will tell you one time and one time only, speak to my brother in such a manner again and it will be the last time a word _ever leaves your mouth_." Her last few words came out as a hiss, her silver eyes narrowed with irritation. After what seemed like an eternity, Myrina rose and backed away from the stranger. Her wings were ruffled and still flared however, a sign of her lingering wrath. "Now, a word to all of you, we will be taking these five students and any others that Professor McGonagall decides needs our protection. Any one with complaints may take it up with me, understood?" She glanced around at her men, Assyrian the only one able to meet her searing gaze without needing to look away. Once she was certain that there would be no objections, the female shapeshifter gave a brief glance to Harry and his friends before giving a curt bow to McGonagall and walking out, her men and the five students – Luna had been waiting for them with McGonagall in the Entrance Hall – following after them.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Seven

Anger coursed through Myrina's veins, heating her blood to a painful boil. Her body temperature had raised so much that as she stepped through the snow as gracefully as a cat, the white powder hissed and spat when it came into connection with the sole of her boot. In such a mood, not even Assyrian tried to calm her down.

The small band marched their way down the fields and she quickly led them to Hagrid's hut. She knew the students and this giant creature were good friends and she also knew they would miss him terribly. The least she could do was give them a last goodbye for the gods knew how long. As the giant man came lumbering out of his house – his enormous canine following him and casting wary glances in the direction of the 'shifters – all five of the students bolted for him. Snow flew in their wake and in the wake of the guards flanking them in case anything decided to attack while their attention was otherwise engaged. As her people ran down the hill, only Myrina, Assyrian, and the man who had returned were left to continue at a leisurely stroll.

The man was silent, no doubt still feeling chastised from his failed attempt to solve what he saw as an injustice. He walked with his head bowed and his eyes watching the heels of his leaders who strode with pride and heads high before him. Although she appeared to be sidetracked with something, Myrina had given almost her undivided attention to this man – watching and waiting for his next outburst. What small part of her notice the man didn't hold went to her dear brother who was looking around anxiously.

When they were halfway down the hill, the feisty woman grasped her brother's arm and pulled him to a stop. They were close enough to protect the humans if the need arose, but they were far enough away that the fore-mentioned wouldn't hear their conversation. Myrina opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again when the returned man spoke quicker.

"Milady I apologize. I fear I have done you a great wrong and my heart is sick because of it." He began, falling on his knees in front of her with his remorse. He held his hands up to her pleadingly as she turned to him, a sad expression on her face as if something dear to her had been hopelessly lost. "Forgive me Lady and never again will I question your judgment or that of your brother's, but please do not simply act as if the bond between us has broken."

Assyrian shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, glancing around and desperately searching for something to give him a reason to escape this conversation. Myrina, however, now took no notice of her brother's fidgeting. "Please Theovane… Not now…" She replied somberly with a voice surprisingly soft. "Let us pass through the portal before we speak of such heavy things. As for forgiveness… I know not who I should forgive, that too must wait until we have returned safely to our homeland…" And with that she walked away, leaving Theovane still on his knees and looking as if his world had just been destroyed. Assyrian placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but the kneeling guard simply rolled it off and stood to shove past him. Assyrian let out a sad sigh as he watched the young soldier tromp off after his sister, the love those two had once shared now jagged and torn. Perhaps beyond repair, but he couldn't know the future.

Myrina stood and gave one final glance to the giant castle before leaping into the air, wearing the form of a large griffin. Behind her leaped three hippogriffs and two more griffins; the griffin being native creatures of the land they now flew toward. Behind her immediately followed Theovane in the form of griffin. Then came Etrussen in the form of a hippogriff, Harry and Ron sat squarely on his broad back. After he, came his son Archay, carrying Hermione and Ginny. Behind them leaped Julian and Assyrian, both in the form of hippogriffs with Luna – riding with a vacant-minded smile on her face – upon Assyrian's back.

With each mighty wing beat of the 'shifters, they rose higher and higher into the sky until the clouds engulfed them. Yet even then, Myrina and Assyrian drove them higher and higher. Finally, they came to the gateway between their worlds. A blue and purple portal suddenly opened around them with the sound of electricity and thunder echoing in their ears. With expert precision, Myrina guided them through until all of a sudden the opening between the worlds had closed behind them.

Their flight lasted almost an hour before they reached Angora, the ancient castle of the Exile Forces. They landed and instantly were surrounded by a circle of spears sharpened so finely they were almost transparent. Smirking at the looks of surprise and awe, and in most cases fear, Myrina raised a hand and said something in her native tongue; a string of rapid syllables that flowed together with the likeness of water. At her command, the spears seemed to dissolve with the speed they were removed from sight. Instantly, laughter was heard as the men and woman who had guarded the five students were all pulled into strong embraces and heart-felt welcoming. As their rejoicing went on, a path was cleared and down it walked a young girl, barely out of toddler-hood. Behind her walked a tall man, his face hard and unreadable. It was Myrina who reacted first.

Dropping to her knees and holding out her arms, a look of such devotion and love coming to her face that Harry nor any of the other students had seen on her visage before. "Armine, my darling!" She breathed, a tear heard in her sweet voice.

Armine ran to her, giggling and leaping as she went. When she was close enough the child leapt into the outstretched arms of Myrina who held the changeling tightly and close to her heart.


End file.
